Cherokee Tribune – Cherokee’s population rises 2 500 from 2012

CANTON — Despite the downturn in migration to the metro Atlanta area following the Great Recession, the latest population estimates indicate that Cherokee County is still gaining residents.

According to the Atlanta Regional Commission, about 41,000 new residents poured into the 10-county, metro-Atlanta area between 2012 to 2013, and 2,500 of those made their way to Cherokee County.

Although, the uptick from 220,800 to 223,300 amounts to only a 1.13 percent change in the county’s residency numbers and is a slower growth rate from that experienced in the 2000s, officials say it’s a sign that Cherokee is holding to its position as a destination for those looking to make north Georgia home.

Board of Commissioners Chairman Buzz Ahrens said Monday the latest estimates show Cherokee as a county still “ahead of the curve.”

“I am delighted that the 2013 numbers are holding,” Ahrens said. “Cherokee is a desirable community to locate a business, expand a business and to move your family.”

Since the “2007 crash,” Ahrens said Cherokee County has consistently held its ground and maintained a growth rate “always in excess of 1 percent” annually.

That rate, however, hasn’t remained as strong as it did in more economically booming times, according to the ARC.

via Cherokee Tribune – Cherokee s population rises 2 500 from 2012.